


Clearing the Bars

by Silverheart



Series: Bats and Birds [19]
Category: Batman: Arkham - All Media Types
Genre: Brothers, Engagement, F/M, Selena is awesome, batfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 11:38:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5867857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverheart/pseuds/Silverheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Batfamily learns of the Grayson-Gordon engagement. The reactions are predictable, if we're all honest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The High Bar

“It looks like Scarecrow has remained, er, stable,” Barb said, reading through the Asylum’s files, “No real change in his condition, though I guess maybe his babbling’s coherent now. He rants angrily about the Arkham Knight every now and again, and he seems pretty adamant Batman’s alive.”

Dick nodded from where he stood in front of the screen. “So you had a concussion?”

She levelled him a burning glare. “Didn’t you come here to check on how things are going in Arkham?”

“That,” he said, “was an excuse, I’ve got to be honest. Mostly.”

She sighed and continued reading the files. _She_ wanted to know how things were going in Arkham.

“Barb.”

She sighed. “Yes, I had a concussion.”

“Well, I guess you can take the genius out of the trailer park, but you can’t— okay, I won’t finish that sentence.” He flinched at Barb’s continuing glare. “Couldn’t he have taken you out to dinner first?”

“Before the concussion?”

“ _Barb_.”

This was the problem with surrogate big brothers. She expected Tim to tell her Jason had put a gun to his head any day now. “If I changed my mind, I would have told him. I wouldn’t have this.” She waved her left hand, setting the diamond there sparkling.

She had to pause a moment and admire it wonderingly. 

“Eh.” He crossed his arms. “He could afford a bigger diamond.”

She could imagine Dick’s girlfriend, that lithe magician Zatanna, dragging a humongous, boulder-sized diamond onto stage. She giggled. “Why are you so offended, anyway?”

“You’re family. You deserve the best.”

Barb touched the Flying Grayson’s necklace she always wore. It had been a gift from Dick, long ago, when she was a young teen. It meant a lot that he would give her something that was so much about _family_. “Tim’s family, too.”

“Yeah, but he could have done better.”

“Better than me?” She laughed for a solid minute at his expression. Her silly birds, these boys. “Do you want to go over Croc’s file now?”


	2. The Arm Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim tries to have a bonding moment with Jason. Awkwardness and (un)veiled threats of violence ensue.

It was very weird to fight against someone who fought pretty much like you- plus the wear of abuse and several pounds of muscle. So while Tim might be a bit quicker on his feet than Jason, the older man not only knew pretty much what Tim was doing next, but he also hit very hard when he landed a blow.

Tim suppressed a wince as he backed off. That was a bruised rib, at least. “You hit like Bruce,” he muttered.

It was intended to be a compliment. Tim caught the particularly vicious look on Jason’s face the instant before Jason charged.

He caught him in a clench and then threw him to the ground. Tim raised his arms in front of his face as Jason rained blows down. He had been _trying_ to avoid rolling with him. Speed could be useful on the ground, but weight couldn’t be ignored.

Jason stopped hitting him for a moment, and Tim moved to try to turn the tide.

No such luck. Moving fast in a way that Tim knew hurt him, Jason put him in an arm bar.

Cursing, Tim thumped him in the side, tapping out. He could deal with broken bones, but it would really piss Barb off if he had a sling on over his tux.

Jason didn’t let go. “I want to make myself very clear, replacement,” he said. Tim felt him shift, so that it wouldn’t take much at all to snap his arm. “Don’t screw with her.”

Tim blinked at him. “What?” They had been sparring, right? Attempting to have a bonding moment and train at the same time, like he would with Dick.

And it had been the Bruce comment that set him off, right?

Jason was a _crazy person_.

“Barbara.” Another shift, and Tim swore he could hear his bones creak. “Don’t toy with her. You’re rich now, and all the papers are fawning over you. You better be serious about this marriage.”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life,” Tim said, looking him right in the eye.

Jason gritted his teeth and kept the hold for a moment longer, then released him. He hopped to his feet, staggering minutely as some joint protested. He didn’t offer to help Tim up. “Talk is cheap,” he growled, walking over to get some water, “But then so are bullets.”

Tim followed, rotating his shoulder carefully. “Right. You don’t get to give a toast at the wedding, just so you know.”


	3. The Hotel Bar

“We don’t need to do that,” Tim said, drawing nonsense lines on a napkin, throwing his full attention into it.

“They are your family,” Barb said. He looked up to see her staring into her wine glass. He had to smile. She’d rather not invite them, either. With all their luck, one of the trailer park geniuses would finally manage to build a doomsday robot and bring it along as their plus-one. Leaving their vicious tribe of children to starve or steal in the meantime. 

“Not the family that means anything. I don’t think they’re even all that aware I exist.” He’d rather keep it that way. 

She sighed and actually took a drink. “If you’re sure…”

“Very.” He looked at his half-empty beer, doing some math involving body weight and alcohol consumption. “What’s the next thing?”

Barb sat her wineglass down. “Cake tasting. They’ll come by to drag us to it in a minute, I’m sure.” She sighed and pulled her glasses off to rub her temples. “This wedding spiraled out of control very quickly.”

Tim took her hand. “You are the mayor’s daughter.”

“Who’s _trying_ not to be a public figure.”

“And failing badly,” a familiar female voice said. They both turned to see Selina Kyle smirking down at their table, wearing the sleek sort of black dress you’d expect in the shopping district. “Have fun with it,” she told Barb, “Stir things up.”

“I’d rather do that on my own terms.”

Selina shook her head and took a couch opposite their spot, signaling to the bartender. “We don’t all _get_ what we want. Sometimes you have to _steal_ it.” 

“Not all of us are as good at that as some,” Tim said, eying her warningly over his beer. He was going to need another one, between Selina and the continuing wedding preparations.

“Aw, Bruce taught you that look.” A waiter came by with a glass of white wine for Selina, as well as another one of red for Barb and a beer for Tim. “My treat,” the thief said as the man sat the drinks in front of them, “And my congratulations. And condolences, apparently, if getting married is as painful as your expressions make it seem.”

“If it was just that, it wouldn’t be,” Barb told her, beginning to finish her first glass, “It would be anything but painful. It’s the…festivities that are being forced onto it.”

“Like I said, have fun with it. You’re going to be princess of Gotham for a day. Every girl wants that, at least in the place I grew up. You’re going to be a better one than most of them would be, too.”

Tim looked between them. Well, the world _had_ gotten even weirder lately, that was true. He just hadn’t realized to what extent. 

“When the day comes, I know I’ll be excited,” Barb said, “But the preparation is painful.”

Selina reached over and patted her hand. “It always looks tricky, when you’re just starting out on a job. All sorts of obstacles. But…” She turned to Tim and gave him an extremely through once-over, up and down. He nearly choked on his beer. “Keep your eye on the prize, and think of how nice it will look in your…I didn’t know people could turn the shade of your hair, Barbara. You learn something new every day.”

“Thank you for the image,” Barb said, hiding behind a very generous sip of wine.

“You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ve been too busy to come up with anything yourselves, between one thing or another.” She reached out and caught their hands, bringing them together in her own. Her mischievous smile turned kind. “I wish you two all the best. You’re both lucky to find someone to hold onto, with this city, this world, with the lives you live. It’s worth a lot. Remember to value it.”

They both nodded. Tim cleared his throat. “Selina, would you like to come to our wedding?”

“Yes. However, I’m afraid I have to go on a business trip that weekend.” She kept her eyes on their hands between her own. “Have to pay the bills, you know.”

Right. Everyone would be at the wedding, too, so…so Selina would get her way. This time. “Have a safe trip, then,” he said.

Her kind smile seemed a little sad for a moment before she removed her hands from theirs, meeting his eyes with laughter in her own. “Oh, but that would be so _boring_ , wouldn’t it? I’ll make sure to send the perfect gift, trust me.” She glanced over at the hotel doors. “I believe I see your babysitters. Enjoy it for what it is, you two.” She sauntered off, muttering something to the bartender before vanishing around a decorative screen.

Both Tim and Barb stared at it for a moment while waiting for her dad’s staffers to descend on them. “I really hope it goes well,” Barb said thoughtfully, “Because she’s been so nice and if she ruins my wedding day by needing to be rescued I’m going to have to hate her.”


End file.
